Welcome to live coverage of the Vuelta a Espana. Today the riders will confront a 157km course that goes up and down between Benicario and Castellon de la Plana.

There are three climbs on the course today. The first is the Cat 3 Puerto de la Mirona, which starts at 43km. The next is the Cat 2 Coll de la Bandereta, which starts at 63km. The final climb is the Alto del Desierto de las Palmas, which befins at 124km. That final climb crests at 25km before the finish, so there will likely be a small group left together to sprint it out. This kind of stage could the sprinters with some climbing skills like Erik Zabel and Stuart O'Grady, who are duking it out in the points competition right now. Alejandro Valverde (Cominidad Valeciana-Kelme) is also a favorite for a stage like this.

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The stage started today with some early attacks. Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (Liberty Seguros) joined a group of six riders who attacked after 13km. Of course, the peloton was not going to let someone like IGG go, so that break was reeled in quickly.

Four less riders in the peloton today - the three T-Mobile riders, Heikmann, Botero and Wesemann, and Scott Sunderland of Alessio, all food poisoning victims. Alexander Vinokourov and Stephan Schreck of T-Mobile are also affected, but managed to finish yesterday and are going to try to duke it out.

Strangely (very strangely indeed), Roberto Heras (Liberty Seguros) took the first intermediate sprint. In 2nd was Juan Manuel Garate (Lampre), and 3rd was Ruben Plaza (Comunidad Valenciana-Kelme). That reads like the first three at the top of a climb, I know, but these three were after the sprint for some reason.

That first sprint was at the 14.6km point. Oscar Sevilla (Phonak) was in a large group that got away briefly, but that group was too big to work effectively and they were pulled back.

Before the first climb of the day, the Cat. 3 Puerto de la Mirona at the 68 km mark, Manuel Quinziato (Lampre) and Kevin Hulsmans (Quick Step) went on the attack. Martin Hvastija (Alessio-Bianchi) was with Quinziato and Hulsmans, but got dropped on the climb of the Puerto de la Mirona. Over the top of the climb, the order was Quinziato, Hulsmans, Hvastija, and then Juan Manuel Garate (Lampre) took the final points in defense of his King of the Mountains Jersey.

Andreas Klier of T-Mobile has now abandoned the race. This is another T-Mobile rider taken down by food poisoning, which is very bad news for the team. Cadel Evans' GC hopes and Zabel's Sprint Jersey hopes will take a huge blow with the loss of this many teammates.

The riders have now made it over the second climb of the day, the Cat 2 Col de la Bandereta. Quinziato takes maximum points, Hulsmans 2nd, Hvastija 3rd, and in the peloton David Fernandez (Costa de Almeria) was 4th, Garate 5th, and Unai Osa (Illes Balears-Banesto) was 6th.

15.46 CET. 70 km to go. Rabobank have come to the front to lead the chase of the two leaders, Quinziato and Hulsmans. These two had about 8' 40" at one point, but the peloton has now pulled that back to about 7' 00".

Hvastija has been picked up by the peloton finally.

Watch out, it's feeding time at the zoo. Bottles are flying all over, as riders clear room for new bottles. Often riders won't drink a whole bottle, because the liquid starts to warm up while sitting on the bike. After an hour, it can be like warm power-drink tea, not exactly what they want. Nope, they want a NEW bottle that's cold.

Race leader Beltran commented yesterday that while he has never been in this type of position and knows he is not a solid leader, he will fight to keep the leader's jersey among his US Postal team. This is his sixth Vuelta, and he says his best placing was last year, though his favorite Vuelta was 1995, when Abraham Olano won.

One of my favorite stories about the lead-in to a feed station comes from Frankie Andreu, the former US Postal rider. A few years back, he said that there was a guy right before the feed zone jumping up and down asking for a bottle. George Hincapie, nice guy that he is, decided to chuck the guy his bottle. The problem? George forgot that he was going about 30 mph. And the bottle was half full.

Apparently, the guy took the bottle in the gut (George has good aim) and it knocked the wind out of him. George felt bad about this, of course.

Oh no, Jorg Jaksche (CSC) has a puncture, and the peloton has split. Jaksche had a few teammates back with him, so they are chasing back on. Looks like they'll make it, and the peloton will be all together again. Save for the two leaders, of course. That last Cat 2 climb did some damage, and a lot of guys will probably drop anchor again as they head over the final Cat 2 climb of the day.

16.02 CET. About 55km left. Rabobank is hammering in pursuit of Quinzato and Hulsmans. The gap is now just over 5'. The Rabos really look determined to get their sprinter Freire to the line with a chance for a win today. He must be feeling good.

Yesterday's winner Denis Menchov of Illes Balears said that in general, coming into this race, he didn't have hopes of winning a stage. He said that in the final attacks he followed Sastre's wheel and controlled Valverde. Then he attacked, and seeing no one follow, he played it out.

He says the Vuelta is a hard race, and his intention is to demonstrate that he is a three week tour rider. He says he feels as well as he did in the Tour, but he plans to take things day by day.

54 to go. The two leaders have 4'54". The peloton is back together after being briefly split. CSC's Jaksche, after his puncture, with Vandborg, Gusev and Thomas Bruun, were in the second group.

Good news for the Euskaltel-Euskadi team - they have been granted a provisional Pro Tour license. The team has until the end of October to provide documentation to the UCI on their bank guarantees, team list and so forth in order for their license to become permanent. General manager Madariaga is of course very happy.

Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel-Euskadi), despite his very poor performance in the Tour and so far this Vuelta, did manage to get into a break briefly earlier in the stage.

Rabobank is still drilling it on the front of the peloton, and the gap for Hulsmans and Quinziato is down to 4' 00". T-Mobile would likely be riding to set up Erik Zabel today, but most of their domestiques have had to abandon the race with food poisoning.

The two leaders are rapidly approaching the final intermediate sprint and final climb of the day.

16.24 CET. 37 km left. The gap is now down to just over 3'. The Rabo express is really working hard. With the loss of the T-Mobile riders, I think Tyler has a shot now, though. He will crush everyone in the time trials. Think about who is in the race... nobody can challenge him in the TTs. And he rides a mean uphill TT, if his climbing legs are there. Which they seem to be.

Floyd is the only one I think can come close to Tyler in the TTs, of the GC leaders.

Constantino Zaballa (Saunier Duval) has attacked the peloton on the final climb of the day. He is followed by Giampaolo Caruso (Liberty Seguros). The gap of the leaders, Hulsmans and Quinziato, is down to about 1' 30".

Hulsmans won the final intermediate sprint before the climb, taking it ahead of Quinziato. Illes Balears-Banesto is trying to control things. Zaballa and Caruso are brought back. At the front, Unai Osa and Benoit Joachim are among some riders trying to open a hole...So Joachim, still in 6th on GC, is riding like a champ.

16.40 CET. Quinziato is driving up the climb with Hulsmans, but the peloton is closing. Isidro Nozal goes on the attack! The attacks are coming fast and thick, hard to follow them all.

Francisco Lara (Costa de Almeria) gets a small gap on the peloton now, and he's being chased back by a Postal rider on the front of the pack. The escapees Hulsman and Quinziato are re-absorbed. Liberty Seguros now has a man on the front of the peloton. This is shredding the peloton, and riders are all over the road behind.

Haimar Zubeldia has been dropped! He's back in the team cars, not happy apparently that the TV cameras have found him. Cofidis and Kelme also have men bunched near the front of the peloton.

The road is fairly narrow here, but looks to be in good condition. The riders go over the top of the Cat 2 climb. Now they are bombing the descent. The peloton was all together at the top.

22 km left. Luis Perez (Cofidis) has a small gap on the descent. Mancebo was first over that climb, and Beltran was 2nd.

The riders are flying through very scrubby landscape on a one lane, windy road. The brief attack by Perez is over. A Costa de Almeria rider leads the peloton on the descent.

Wait, Perez is still off the front. He's been joined by a couple of others.

Now off the descent of the Alto del Desierto de las Palmas, there are 15 kms to go. It's a fairly flat ride here on out.

Caruso, Lopez, and Lara are the three riders off the front with a small gap. The peloton is still very large. This will likely come together for a big sprint.

Now the men in the break are being nailed back. It'll be over soon, but Caruso (Liberty Seguros) is still driving it. Francisco Lara (Costa de Almeria) comes through for a pull. These two are lone off the front, dangling, but now the peloton has them and they sit up. The race is now in town.

17.02 CET. 11km left. Beltran is up near the front of the peloton with Joachim and Landis, protecting his Gold Jersey. Valverde and O'Grady and Zabel are reportedly in this group, and so will be there to contest the sprint.

Freire is there as well, and he's got to be a favorite for the victory too.

7km to go. The peloton is large, but the hammer is down. Cofidis is driving it right now. They are working for O'Grady. Rabobank and Kelme will likely send their men up soon.

4 km to go. There is a pink jersey near the front, likely Erik Zabel. One of his teammates (one of the few remaining) sets the pace on the front for a moment. The peloton is a bit strung out.

The peloton is absolutely flying now. T-Mobile and Cofidis are doing the work at the front. 3km left.

O'Grady and Zabel are going to be dueling over the Blue and Yellow Jersey (aka the Fishy Shirt) once again. Bingen Fernandez sets the pace in the peloton, driving it like a powerful locomotive. Fernandez pushes the Cofidis train under the 2km banner.

Final kilometer. Cofidis is still driving hard for O'Grady. Here comes the sprint. Valverde and Zabel are pushing it, Freire is coming up. Freire wins!

Zabel jumped up the left half of the road. O'Grady was pushing up the right half. Freire came around Zabel on the left, and took the win by about a wheel. Valverde washed away quickly, he just didn't seem to have it today.

Beltran holds onto the Gold Jersey for another day. That was a great attempt at the leadout by Cofidis. O'Grady had a clear shot at the line, but Zabel and Freire were too fast coming up the left.

Valverde was 8th, and he was beaten by Garzelli in 7th... Garzelli does have a pretty decent sprint, by the way.

"I had a lot of luck today." Freire says. Yeah, a lot of luck. But his team worked their butts off to bring that chase back and give him his shot. That was a great team effort by the Rabos today. He has plenty of praise for his team; a class act, that man.

O'Grady holds onto a 4 point lead over Erik Zabel in the race for the Fishy Shirt of the points leader. Freire is up to 3rd in that competition, just 5 points behind O'Grady.

Meanwhile, Francisco Mancebo was able to take the Magenta Climbing Jersey. He has 17 points, while today's breakaway hero Quinziato has 16 points and Garate has 13 points. Looks like Mancebo might be serious about dueling it out with Garate for the mountains competition this year.

This concludes our live coverage of Stage 6 - thanks for reading today, and be sure to tune in tomorrow.